Welcome to Digging in the Roots (formerly called Genealogical Research: A Hobby or an Obsession?), a blog about genealogy and family history research in the Southern Appalachians.

My name is Dawn Watson, and I’ve been a genealogical researcher for over 25 years. My area of interest is the 19th century Southeastern United States, particularly Georgia and the Carolinas. This interest is so strong that it moved me to found the Southern Appalachians Genealogical Association with a handful of other researchers.

What will you find here? Whatever catches my interest! Many of the families mentioned on this blog are not my own. Likewise, many of the records discussed may not pertain directly to my family.

Professional Services:
I am no longer offering professional research services and lectures.

Copyright Information:
Each post on this blog is copyrighted and falls under the protection of the copyright laws of the United States of America. Please act accordingly.

Pictures Used On This Blog:
When reducing most of the scanned images for inclusion on this web site, I tried to retain an unedited picture for sharing. If you would like a copy of an old picture or tombstone photograph, please e-mail me at the addy above.

Comments:
In order to control spammers, comment moderation has been activated. Please do leave comments. I ask only that posters refrain from using invectives, and that comments pertain to the posts under which the comment is left. If you have a question about something that is off-topic but still genealogical in nature, please leave those comments on any post, or feel free to e-mail me at the addy given above.

All-time Top 5 Posts:
Here are readers’ favorite posts for the entire life of the blog. (No kidding.)

I received an e-mail about your work with historic rural churches just a few days ago, and hope to include some information on it in an upcoming issue of a newsletter I write. Please keep me in mind when you make it this way!